Iron Spider


The Iron Spider is a fictional powered exoskeleton used by several characters in Marvel Comics.

Publication history

The Iron Spider armor first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #529 and was designed by Joe Quesada, based on a sketch by Chris Bachalo.
Peter Parker wore this suit as Spider-Man's official costume until writer J. Michael Straczynski chose to revert to the older costume. It was used symbolically to show the character's divided loyalties during the 2006 - 2007 "Civil War" storyline.

Known wearers

Peter Parker

Scarlet Spiders

The Iron Spider armor costume has been duplicated and used by MVP's three genetic clones in the who identify themselves as Red Team and also labeled the Scarlet Spiders. It is unknown as to what new powers the team possesses, but they have been shown to be us some of the built-in powers such as the cloaking device, communications, and waldoes which the original costume possessed. One change is that there are now four waldoes, as opposed to three. These suits have the original's morphing ability, as well as web-shooters, and wall-crawling capability. It took 3 months to build the suit according to the 2013 comic "Return of the iron spider"

Mary Jane Watson

later donned the Iron Spider armor in order to help Spider-Man and Iron Man fight. She uses her experience in Iron Man's suit and her brief spider powers that she had back in the Spider-Island storyline to operate the armor.

Aaron Davis

' uncle Aaron Davis purchases a recolored and modified version of the Iron Spider armor which he uses to form his incarnation of the Sinister Six.

Amadeus Cho

Wears in several TV shows and comics, including "The Totally Awesome Hulk".

Powers and abilities

Supported by a system similar to that of Tony Stark's classic Iron Man design, The Iron Spider armor features many gadgets, including three mechanical spider-arms, or "waldoes", that can be used to see around corners and to manipulate objects indirectly. Stark describes them as too delicate to use in combat, yet Spider-Man shortly afterward uses them to smash through the sensors in Titanium Man's helmet. Later on during the "Civil War" ark, he uses them during his fight with Captain America.
Other features include short-distance gliding capability, limited bulletproofing, built-in fire/police/emergency scanner, audio/visual amplification, cloaking device, carbon filters to keep out airborne toxins, and a short-range GPS microwave communication system. It grants the ability to breathe under water, and can morph into different shapes due to its "'smart' liquid metal" form. It can also "more or less disappear" when not needed due to reactions to neurological impulses as Tony Stark revealed. The new costume is able to look like other styles of costumes Spider-Man has worn over the years or turn into his street clothes. Part of the costume can detach itself from Spider-Man to cover an object too dangerous to touch, such as a radioactive asteroid. All these features are controlled by a computer system in the chest piece. The suit responds to mental control.
The Iron Spider armor also has a secret override that can be activated by Iron Man in case of emergencies or if Spider-Man ever switches sides. However, unknown to Stark, Peter was already aware of the safety measure and had bypassed it with his own override, Passcode Surprise. Perhaps most sinister, Stark discovered a way to give his own Iron Man armor a "spider-sense" based on Peter's, and the ability to give Spider-Man's sense red herrings.

Other versions

In the pages of Contest of Champions, a variation of Natasha Romanov donned the Iron Spider identity in an unidentified alternate reality where Iron Man used the Reality Gem to rig the Civil War in his favor where he later became President of the United States. She inherited it after Peter defected to Captain America's side and later became a member of the Civil Warriors.

In other media

Television